US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth officially confirmed that anti-drone weapons intended for Ukraine were redirected to American forces stationed in the Middle East. The APKWS II anti-drone rocket systems “are at least part, if not the main focus of this diversion in matériel,” TWZ reported. Meanwhile, Senator McConnell says Washington’s reputation is “on the line.”

Testifying before the Senate Appropriations Committee on 11 June, Hegseth admitted for the first time that counter-UAS capabilities originally purchased for Ukraine under the Biden administration were instead prioritized for deployment in the CENTCOM area (North Africa – Middle East). 

“Senator, as you know, the Middle East is and remains a very dynamic theater,” Hegseth claimed. “We’re going to surge counter UAS systems to our troops and our bases and our places first […] that has been and will continue to be a priority for us.”

Zelenskyy previously warned of looming weapon loss

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told ABC News last week that the US had agreed to send “20,000 missiles – anti-Shahed missiles,” which are now being diverted. “Without the help of the United States, we will have more losses.”

TWZ noted that “there are no traditional missiles available anywhere near that number,” meanwhile, the APKWS system is produced in large volumes and is specifically effective against Shahed-136 suicide drones. 

“APKWS gives Ukraine another proven way to defend key target areas… without blowing through prized SAMs,” TWZ wrote,

The Wall Street Journal earlier reported that the Pentagon “quietly notified Congress” that APKWS-specific proximity fuzes were reassigned to US Air Force units. These fuzes are essential to converting APKWS rockets into counter-drone weapons.

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The public admission sparked renewed criticism from lawmakers. Republican Senator Mitch McConnell asked Hegseth which side he wanted to win the war, but Hegseth said the Trump administration sought an end to the killing without taking sides.

McConnell, a vocal Ukraine supporter, noted:

“It seems to me pretty obvious that America’s reputation is on the line,” McConnell said. “Will we defend Democratic allies against authoritarian aggressors?”

Later in the hearing, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham pressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine on whether Russian President Vladimir Putin would stop at Ukraine.

“I don’t believe he is,” Gen. Caine responded, with Hegseth adding it “remains to be seen.”

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Graham, referencing his earlier comparison between Western inaction toward Putin and the appeasement of Adolf Hitler in the lead-up to World War II, quickly retorted:

“Well, he says he’s not. This is the ’30s all over. It doesn’t remain to be seen.”

APKWS 

The APKWS II are laser-guided 70mm rockets previously used by Ukraine to intercept Russia’s Iranian-designed Shahed drones and low-flying missiles. pods with such missiles have been forward-deployed with US’ F-15Es in Jordan and have been used in past months by US jets to down Houthi drones in the Red Sea. The same guidance kits are also used in the VAMPIRE counter-drone system previously supplied to Ukraine.

According to TWZ, videos from Ukraine in 2023 showed APKWS being used on Humvees, but the VAMPIRE system with counter-drone fuzes became more widespread by December 2023. These systems helped Ukraine defend key targets from Iranian-made kamikaze drones without depleting expensive SAM inventories.

Unclear future for US aid for Ukraine

Hegseth declined to specify how many APKWS rockets remain in stock or were sent to Ukraine. 

“We would have to review the capacity,” he said, adding that US support to Ukraine had allegedly created “some challenges in other places.”

Earlier on 10 June, Hegseth said a cut in US military aid to Ukraine is almost certain, citing the Trump administration’s “very different view” of Russia’s war compared to former President Joe Biden’s and calling an unrealistic “negotiated peaceful settlement” the best outcome for both sides and US interests.

At a Senate budget hearing on June 11, Republican senators fiercely criticized U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the Trump administration’s effort to end the Ukraine war through negotiations involving Russia.

The session revealed deep divisions within the GOP on U.S. foreign policy, as lawmakers clashed over the administration's strategic direction, Politico reports. Leading the pushback was Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, one of three Republicans who voted against Hegseth’s confirmation, who warned, "America’s reputation is on the line."

McConnell, now chair of the panel overseeing defense funding, issued some of his strongest public criticism yet, questioning whether the United States would continue defending democratic allies against authoritarian threats.

He contrasted his stance — rooted in a Reagan-era commitment to global leadership — with Hegseth’s "America First" approach favored by many Trump supporters. "We don’t want a headline at the end of this conflict that says Russia wins and America loses," McConnell said.

When asked who the aggressor in the three-year-old war is, Hegseth responded, "Russia is the aggressor." But he avoided directly stating which side the U.S. wants to see win, instead emphasizing that President Trump is committed to achieving peace.

Hegseth shifted blame to the Biden and Obama administrations, arguing that slow responses during their terms allowed Putin to seize Crimea and invade Ukraine. "Vladimir Putin knows that President Trump is strong," he said, suggesting a negotiated peace would bolster America’s global position.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a prominent Trump ally, questioned whether Putin would stop his territorial ambitions if he gained ground in Ukraine. Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine said he did not believe Putin would stop. Hegseth, however, responded, "It remains to be seen." Graham rebuked that answer, saying, "This is the ‘30s all over. It doesn’t remain to be seen."

Democrats also raised concerns. Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware criticized the administration for omitting Ukraine aid in its 2026 budget request and warned against compromising too much for the sake of peace. "We cannot abandon Ukraine," he said.

Hegseth defended the administration’s strategy, calling a negotiated settlement a show of strength. "The alternative of endless war that is largely funded by the United States and fought by Ukrainians… does not make sense strategically," he said.

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The Kyiv IndependentTimothy Snyder

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is redirecting anti-drone technology earmarked for Ukraine to its own troops based in the Middle East, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on June 4.

According to the WSJ, special fuzes used in ground-to-air rocket systems that protect against drone attacks will be redirected towards units in the Middle East, as the U.S. braces for conflict with Iran as well as Houthi militants in Yemen.

The Pentagon notified Congress last week in a previously undisclosed message that the redirection of the fuzes, used in Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System, was identified by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as an "urgent issue."

The fuzes were initially bought for Ukraine by the Biden administration.

The decision comes as Russia has intensified its drone attacks in recent months, targeting cities across Ukraine. On the night of June 1, Russia launched its largest swarm of attack drones since the start of the full-scale invasion, topping out at 472 total units at once.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 4 that Russia has launched over 20,000 drones towards Ukraine since the start of 2025.

A source in Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) told the Kyiv Independent on June 4 that Russia will soon be able to deploy more than 500 long-range drones a night to attack Ukraine as it ramps up production and builds new launch sites for them.

Since the start of his presidency, Trump has been critical of providing Ukraine with additional military aid. The U.S. temporarily halted military supplies for Ukraine in March before restarting them after Kyiv agreed to the truce plan during talks in Jeddah on March 11.

Hegseth, who reportedly ordered a temporary halt of military aid flights to Ukraine, has also been critical of providing additional aid to Kyiv. Earlier in the day on June 4, Hegseth did not attend a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, marking the first instance since the start of the full-scale war that the U.S. Defense Secretary was not in attendance.

Since Trump's second term began in January, no new aid packages have been approved.

Following a call on June 4 with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said that Putin "will have to respond" to Ukraine's recent drone attack on military airfields.

Ukraine has called upon its partners to invest more in its arms production and to provide additional air defenses, namely Patriot systems, to help fend off intensifying Russian aerial attacks.

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The Kyiv IndependentSonya Bandouil

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will not attend a meeting of 50 defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels on 4 June.

This marks the first time in three years a Pentagon chief has skipped the Ukraine Defense Contact Group gathering since 2022, when the group was established on US initiative

The Ukraine Defense Contact Group will convene at NATO headquarters on 4 June, three years after the  first gather.

The Contact Group initially brought together 40 countries. NATO and EU members joined with international partners to support Ukraine against Russian aggression.

The United Kingdom and Germany will convene the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at NATO headquarters this year. The previous Ramstein format meeting took place on 11 April in Brussels. The UK and Germany also convened that meeting.

The Trump administration has distanced itself from the group. The UK and Germany took over leadership of the group in February. This happened after Hegseth said the US would no longer play a role in the monthly meetings. 

Hegseth will be in Brussels for the meeting of NATO defense ministers on 5 June. His place at 4 June Ukraine Defense Contact Group will be taken by US ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker, according to a defense official and two people familiar with their plans.

The Ukraine gathering comes three weeks before NATO’s annual summit in The Netherlands on 24-25 June. Leaders from across the alliance will attend that two-day event. President Donald Trump will likely command an outsize presence as European leaders wait for the administration’s Europe and Russia policies to come into focus.

Ambassador Whitaker said last month that the US will begin talks with allies later this year about potential troop withdrawals from Europe. Nothing has been decided. Hegseth warned during his first visit to NATO in February that the American military presence in Europe was “not forever.” The comment sent ripples of concern throughout the alliance.

Hegseth also admonished European leaders for not spending enough on defense during that meeting. He controversially laid down preconditions for Ukraine to meet before entering peace talks with Russia. These included forgoing an invitation to join NATO and not asking for a return to its pre-invasion borders.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson's statement and reporting by RFE/RL.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will not attend the June 4 meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG), the Associated Press (AP) reported, citing a U.S. official.

The news agency reported that Hegseth will not arrive in Brussels until the conference is over and will not participate in the event online either. This will be the first meeting of Kyiv’s roughly 50 military backers in the so-called Ramstein format that the Pentagon chief will not attend.

According to Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson, Hegseth's travel schedule precluded attendance at the meeting.

"The United States is focused on ending the war in Ukraine as quickly as possible, on terms that establish an enduring peace," she added.

The U.S. will instead be represented by its ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported. Hegseth will also not be present at the NATO-Ukraine Council meeting on June 5, according to the outlet's sources.

The U.K. and Germany will chair the June 4 meeting, which will take place as Russia continues to reject a ceasefire and reportedly prepares new offensives against Ukraine.

Ukraine has called upon its partners to invest more in its arms production and to provide additional air defenses, namely Patriot systems, to help fend off intensifying Russian aerial attacks.

Hegseth's predecessor, former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, launched the UDCG after the outbreak of Russia's full-scale war in 2022 to coordinate assistance among Kyiv's allies.

The last Ramstein-format UDCG meeting took place in Brussels on April 11 under the chairmanship of London and Berlin, with allies committing more than 21 billion euros ($23.8 billion) in long-term military aid to Ukraine.

Hegseth attended the Ramstein summit on Feb. 12, but not as its chairman, a position held by Austin until then. His British counterpart, John Healey, presided over the summit instead. Previous reporting suggested that the defense secretary was to skip the April meeting, but he eventually joined via video link.

Since taking office in January, U.S. President Donald Trump has begun scaling down the U.S. presence in various international pro-Ukraine initiatives as he seeks to broker a ceasefire and a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow.

As the peace talks stall, Trump has signaled he might walk away from the effort. The U.S. president has been notably silent on the most recent war developments, including the most recent peace talks in Istanbul or Ukraine's mass drone attack on the Russian strategic aviation.

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